This coming weekend many of us will be observing and celebrating Halloween and trick-or-treating. I thought it would be a good time to remind parents and children of some safety tips and to answer some questions I receive every year at this time.

The YMCA will host Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday, October 29th, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

The City of Monett will observe trick-or-treat! Halloween night Monday, October 31st. Although there is not an established time frame for Halloween night trick- or-treating, participants should be considerate of residents and end at a respectful time (9:00 p.m. is recommended).

How old is too old to trick-or-treat? Monett does not have an established age limit, although many communities do and set the age limit at 14 or 15 years old.

Law enforcement does check on registered sex offenders to ensure they are compliant with Missouri statutes (laws) regarding their activities on Halloween. These statutes do not apply to any other days other than October 31st. We recommend door-to-door trick-or treating only be done on Halloween.

Rumors of large groups of clowns descending upon communities have been around since the early 1980s and have now been exaggerated with the advent of social media. We have not found any evidence to validate any of the rumors in the last thirty-plus years.

Here are some tips to help children have a safe and happy Halloween:
Tips for children
Use face paint instead of vision-limiting masks.
Carry a flashlight or illuminating device.
Trick-or-treat in groups and stay with your group.
Look both ways before crossing streets and watch for vehicles.
Accept treats at the door and NEVER go inside a house.
Only go to homes with an outside light on.
Have your parents inspect your candy and donít eat opened candy.
Walk--Donít Run between houses!
Tips for Parents and adults
Make sure childrenís costumes fit properly and are light colored or reflective.
Ensure children wear reflective clothing or carry an illuminating device with them.
Plan a route for your child.
Children 10 and under should be accompanied by an adult.
Use caution while driving.
Walk with your children instead of driving behind them in areas where there are a lot of children.
Be safe and most of all, HAVE FUN! -Jay Jastal, School Resource Officer

SCHOOL SAFETY

As we start a new school year, I would like to once again remind drivers to help keep our roadways safe for our students. With new health initiatives resulting in more and more children walking and riding bicycles to and from school, drivers must be extra cautious and avoid dangerous distractions in areas where children may be walking or riding their bikes.

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents. In Missouri, we now have laws prohibiting the use of electronic communication devices for some classes of drivers. Speeding drivers add to the dangers for pedestrians and cyclists. Speed limits are established to reduce accidents and to protect citizens and must be obeyed. Slowing down and paying attention while driving, especially in and around school zones, will help ensure the safety of our children. In the coming weeks, the Monett Police Department and other law enforcement agencies will be kicking off the Child Passenger Safety campaign, the goal of which is to increase the use of seatbelts among children. Law enforcement officers will be out looking for seatbelt violations and enforcing seatbelt law.Slowing down, paying attention, and avoiding distractions will go a long way in keeping our children safe.

Minutes of District Safety Committee Meeting

District Safety Committee Meeting

May 13, 2014

The meeting was attended by district administrators/staff and public/parent representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to review new policy changes including:

1) Emergency Drill:

*Proposed Emergency Drill Schedule for 2014-15: Asst. Supt. Dawson went over calendar for up-coming year including expectations and highlighted activities planned for each month.

*Required Active Shooter Drill: Faculty/staff active shooter training is being planned for the up-coming year. School Resource Officer Jay Jastal reviewed the highlights of what the active shooter drills will look like and how those procedures will take place. He also reviewed the modified active shooter policy.

2) Crisis Intervention Plans:

*Special Population Student Disabilities/Medications: Mr. Dawson reviewed the need for the lists ofthis particular group of students and required meds.

*Shelter-in-place up to 72 hours: Dawson reviewed the modified policy.

3) Building and Ground Security:

*Maintain list of employees/service people with access to district buildings. Joe Fox will be compiling the master list.

*Firearms prohibited, except for authorized law enforcement officials

Emergency Preparedness:

Each building reported on their relocation, reunification procedures, and student tracking procedures for each campus-specific site.

*FEMA Shelters Update: Mr. Dawson reported on the timeline regarding the construction of the shelters.

Student/Worker Safety Review given by Joe Fox:

*Missouri Employee Mutual walk-through information

*Edu Safe - final report for Central Park Elementary

*Aramark safety - update on steps that will be taken in accordance with Edu Safe Audit.

Safety Committee Update

Safety Committee 10.30.13

On October 30th the District Safety Committee met at the Central Office that included teachers, administrators, city officials, and parent representation. The purpose of this meeting was to review district and school level response plans, ensure proper communication lines between city and school, and to review classrooms and worker safety issues.

At this meeting, buildings shared how and where students would “reunify” in case of an emergency situation. School reunification letters have been posted on the district website. In addition, the committee reviewed “sheltering” procedures as a response to threatening weather. Central Park, Monett Intermediate, and Monett Middle School indicated that the new access points (front door locks and cameras) have been positively received by teachers and patrons. Mr. Miller, Director of Scott Regional Technology Center, discussed the new camera upgrades, which provides better resolution and better surveillance of the building. Mr. Dawson, Asst. Superintendent, reviewed the monthly drill schedule being implemented at the buildings. Lastly, Joe Fox, Director of Maintenance, provided a review of his safety procedures to review grounds and classrooms to ensure building security and resolve potential issues.

The next meeting of the committee will be in March where committee members will review parent/guardian reunification procedures.

These letters contain valuable information for parents and guardians regarding relocation of students in case of a need for an emergency evacuation and the process of student pickup from such relocation sites.